Depending on the operating conditions and the composition of ambient air, the exhaust gases from a modern motor vehicle may be cleaner than ambient air which is suctioned into the engine for internal combustion. The reason for this is improved technology for controlling and cleaning emissions from the engine, e.g., by means of improved combustion control, catalytic converters and hydrocarbon traps in the exhaust system, etc. Hybrid electric vehicles may also generate low emissions due to incorporation of electric power. Further, battery electric vehicles may generate substantially zero emissions due to the absence of an internal combustion engine.
Therefore, vehicles can be provided with pollution reduction or abatement mechanisms to clean ambient air during operation. Sufficient number of vehicles equipped with such pollution reduction mechanisms and operating in a particular region (for example, a city) may result in gradual reduction in ambient air pollution.
However, conventional techniques for cleaning ambient air using a vehicle typically allow ambient air to continuously access the pollution reduction mechanism irrespective of the quality of ambient air. Continuous flow of ambient air through or over the pollution reduction mechanism may also adversely impact vehicle performance in some situations. Certain types of pollution reduction mechanisms, such as catalyst coatings, may further require specific conditions (for example, a minimum temperature) to be met in order to be effective. Therefore, continuous or permanent contact between ambient air and the pollution reduction mechanism may be undesirable or ineffective in various situations.
Given description covers one or more above mentioned problems and discloses a method and a system to solve the problems.